I wonder if people seeing new paintings at the dawn of each new period experienced them the way we experience an exciting new technology?
When the renaissance painters rediscovered perspective did their fans experience it the way we experience 3D movies? Was the incredible depth of emotion in Baroque anything like technicolor was for us? Or THX?
When I ran into Sassoferrato’s Virgin at Prayer at the National Gallery in London it was like running into a time machine and I didn’t know if I was going forward or backwards. I knew immediately that, as soon I got back to my own time period, I would have to finger-paint it on my iPad.
It took me a couple of months longer than I expected and I my missed my self-imposed deadline to be done in time to send it as a Christmas gift – but I got there in the end.
Epilogue: I finished the painting about 3 months ago but, sadly, haven’t painted anything since. I have a half-finished Edward Hopper rip-off in the works but my muse has left me stranded and who knows when she’ll be back. Time for a new hobby?
Excellent work! We need more people in funny hats though. Can you do that short dead dude?
To answer your question though, I don’t think paintings were considered artistic pieces to be looked at in wonder until after the advent of photographs. It’s not like they were put in galleries or anything, they were just sitting in people’s houses, right?
You don’t think they said “wow. Its like the virgin mary is sitting right there! ” ?
Who’s the short dead dude?? Inquiring minds need to know:)
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PvnAJNEr__c/TUIqWcUJdVI/AAAAAAAAAoA/F1pPI5hZFt4/s1600/napoleon2g.jpg
I don’t know, I wasn’t there, but I suspect paintings were held is much less regard than we think they were.
I suspect that way-back-when, paintings were trappings of the wealthy — a luxury to purchase something that serves no useful purpose other than to decorate a wall and maybe show off to visitors. A truly fine painting may do good things for the soul; but I expect that the great majority of paintings were really no more than wall decoration.
Kevin, this is incredible stuff. I’m amazed that you do this with an iPad. In fact, amazed that you do this at all. What software are you using? My father paints and I would like to share this with him.
Thank you Jeff. I painted this with Art Studio but that was about six years ago and I haven’t painted anything since.
I got a new iPad last year to try to rekindle the passion but no inspiration yet 🙁
Thanks, Kevin. I hope that inspiration comes soon!